The Summer with Carmen (Greek: Καλοκαίρι της Κάρμεν, romanized: Kalokairi tis Karmen) is a 2023 Greek comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Zacharías Mavroidís. It premiered at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.
| The Summer with Carmen | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Zacharías Mavroidís |
| Screenplay by | Zacharías Mavroidís Xenofón Chalátsis |
| Produced by | Ioánna Bolomýti Lína Yannopoúlou |
| Starring | Yorgos Tsiantoulas |
| Cinematography | Theódoros Michópoulos |
| Edited by | Lívia Neroutsopoúlou |
| Music by | Ted Regklis |
Release date |
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| Language | Greek |
Plot
editDemosthenes is enjoying a beautiful day at the queer beach in Athens. He is helping his friend and aspiring filmmaker Nikitas come up with an idea for his first feature film, inspired by the adventures of a dog named Karmen. Two summers ago, Demosthenes had to stop in Athens because of his father's health problems. An excuse to meet his ex, Panos, who, in turn, took in his dog Karmen, a decision he soon regretted. Just like Demosthenes, who seems to regret breaking up with Panos. Or maybe he does? Committed to transforming real events into the "hero's journey", the two friends begin to question the main rule of screenplay theory - the hero changes - and in the process give a twist to their enduring friendship.
Cast
edit- Yorgos Tsiantoulas as Demosthenes
- Andreas Lampropoulos as Nikitas
- Nikolas Mihas as Panos
- Roubini Vasilakopoulou as Kaiti
- Vasilis Tsigristaris as Thymios
Production
editMavroidís co-wrote the film with his best friend Xenofondas Chalatsis.[1] He described it as "a comedy about the futility of knowing thyself", and mentioned Charlie Kaufman as an inspiration for the film's structure.[1] The film was shot between Athens and the nudist beach of Limanákia in Vouliagméni.[2]
Release
editThe film premiered at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival, in the Giornate degli Autori (Venice Days) sidebar.[1][3][4] It was later screened at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival , where it won the Mermaid Award, the Youth Jury Best Film Award and the Fischer Audience Award for a Greek film.[5]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 8 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.4/10.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b c Keslassy, Elsa (28 July 2023). "Be For Films Boards 'The Summer With Carmen' Ahead of Venice Days Premiere". Variety. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ Fabre, Clarisse (19 June 2024). "« The Summer with Carmen » : à Athènes, deux personnages en quête d'histoire". Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ Lazic, Elena (9 September 2023). "Review: The Summer with Carmen". Cineuropa. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ van Hoeij, Boyd (7 September 2023). "The Summer with Carmen". The Film Verdict. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "The awards of the 64th Thessaloniki International Film Festival". filmfestival.gr. 13 November 2023. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ "The Summer with Carmen". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
